The Queen Bee
by Mary Cadwell
Summary: It was Ringo. It is now Akito. With his grades dropping drastically, 12-hour-phone-calls everyday, triggered cross-dressing, Agito is afraid that their brother would take them away to another place - which he does care about now.
1. Chapter 1

Hallo, ladies and gentlemen. Many thanks for the 1,000 plus hits you guys made happen for my first fic. This, dear readers, is another fanfic I will really try to finish. For those who made the awesome 1,000 plus hits, this is The Queen Bee.

Summary:

The Queen Bee was Ringo. (As incredulous as it is,) And it is now Akito. With his grades dropping drastically, triggered cross-dressing and 12-hours-phone-call-sessions everyday, Agito is afraid that Kaito, their older brother, would take them away to another place—which Agito _does_ care about _now_.

* * *

The bell rang lunch and everybody's already settled in their own tables; everyone's here—except for that bird brain. Akito sighed exaggeratingly, his shoulders slumping even more, his pouted lips curving into a frown ever more. I have no idea why he, my twin brother, a person who shared the same bedroom with me for so many years, who eats with me, who is so close to me, is so concerned about that bird brain. Ever since Akito became this Queen Bee, he thought all the more that Ikki actually cares about him—that, is ridiculous and extremely wrong.

Ringo, the previous Queen Bee, says nothing, on the other hand. I sometimes wanted to apologize for my twin's actions. But still, I don't know why Ringo treats Ikki damn too special. He is not worth anyone's time. Or love.

I heard a squeal from behind and noticed Akito and Ringo's faces light up and darken at the same time.

"Where have you been?" Kazu said as the bird brain sat on his chair (which was actually reserved by Akito and is, naturally, beside him).

"We've been waiting for you," Emily said.

Ringo opened her mouth but her face fell and she closed it when she saw Akito huddle against Ikki. Ikki never paid any special attention to Ringo, Queen Bee or not. Things weren't different for Akito, though.

"Those girls were chasing me down the corridors. I had to hide," Ikki said, glancing behind his shoulder, they still found me, though," he straightened his polo which looked like the claws of those squealing girls had dug them into it and stretched it on both different directions.

Kazu nodded, sipping at his soda.

"Man, you rip girls off of you all the time," Onigiri said.

I snorted. If his look at me was dark and horrifyingly menacing, I didn't know and did not care about that. Just how ignorant he is to Akito and Ringo's efforts.

"Emily, why are you not eating?" Kazu asked.

"Oh," Emily said, her eyes glued to her notebook, "I have to pass the test later," she said in an overly resolute tone and expression. Then her eyes moved from her notebook, "Did you guys passed the test last week?"

"That was pretty easy," Akito said.

"Yeah," Ringo nodded.

Queen Bee or not, Akito and Ringo kept their grades up.

"Did you?" Kazu asked Emily.

"Miraculously, yes," she said brightly.

"Ikki did not, but he was the highest among Kazu, I, and Bucca!" Onigiri intervened, dignity in his voice as held his head high. Everyone looked blankly at him. His face went pink, "What? That's unsual…"

"How many points did you get?" Ringo asked Ikki.

Bucca answered for him after a moment of silence, "Ten points over thirty items,"

"That's awesome," Akito told Ikki brightly.

"Yeah," I said, laughing silently, "_Very awesome_,"

Everyone broke into a smile now.

"I know!" Ikki said, adamantly.

I laughed more. Pighead. So did the others.

"Chill, Ikki," Ringo said.

"Tsk, tsk, tsk," Kazu said, "Act like a man, Ikki, a _man_," with the last word, he puffed up.

Emily and Akito giggled.

"Stop that, Kazu," Ikki said, "You look stupid,"

"I was just saying that you stop acting like a kid!"

"You are trying to make Emily laugh." I said.

Our table went on filled with laughs, jeers and smiles. I must admit that this is one of those times when some things could not go wrong anymore for me. And when I have to push aside my pessimistic thoughts because I know something would always happen.


	2. Chapter 2

[more] Reviews will be very much appreciated :D.

* * *

I slammed slide the door open and hastily took put the umbrella by, not bothering to still close it. Rainy days are always a pain in the ass. If that bird brain wasn't so slow with his paper, Tomika and our class wouldn't have waited for something and the rain would not have caught up with us.

As I step in, Akito was having his annoying phone call sessions again. He stopped talking into the phone for a second to look at me, then continued talking again. I sighed impatiently but went to get changed, anyway. When I returned, he was saying goodbye into the phone. When he put it down, he turned to me.

"You haven't spent twelve hours yet," I mocked.

The door bell rang and he got up.

"Who's that?" I asked.

"Must be Ringo," he muttered.

"What?"

Ringo entered, still prim and pretty despite of the hassle of the rain. "Hey, Agito," she said.

I looked at Agito again.

"I asked her to come over," he said and sighed when I did not say anything. "For this Kimono," he held the folded dress, "for the festival!" he exclaimed brightly and lead Ringo to his room.

I stayed there, closing the door that was left open.

I tried to fend off the annoying smile of Akito in my mind. I went to the fridge and got the pack of cereals which was only half consumed. I slumped on the couch and turned on the TV. After a few moments, I was already grabbing fistfuls on to my mouth while my eyes are glued to the TV. I was grabbing another one when the phone rang. I grunted. That must be for Akito, hell, this is getting more and more annoying each day. I snatched the phone.

"Hello?"

"Agito, is that you?"

Gah. Kaito. I would have happily received one of Agito's friends instead.

"What do you want?" I said. Startled by my own language, I stammered, "Uh, I mean, yes. Yes!"

"I'm going home this month. How is Akito?" Why the hell should he bother to ask how I am? I was about to answer him when he said, "I gotta go now. Make sure I see good grades from him." I am glad I am not expected to present him the same marks. I put some more cereals into my mouth. At least this phone rang for someone else for once.

* * *

"I'll be late, we'll have to fix some things up for the festival," Akito said as he dug past foils and Tupper wares in the fridge that morning.

"You're scheduled to have a quiz in Biology tomorrow, right?"

"Uh-huh,"

I looked at him over my shoulder. "Maybe you should study first. You don't need to help in the preparation, anyway."

He did not say anything but stuck his head out of the fridge. "Where's the pack of cereals I bought last time?"

"Oh, the half-consumed pack? I ate them yesterday."

"Agito," he walked up to me and leaned on the back of the couch. "How could you eat like that and stay thin?"

I ripped my eyes from the TV. "What?"

"Look at what you're eating; those Oreos aren't fat-free,"

"Are you anorexic?"

"No, that's a different thing, Agito."

I can't believe what I am hearing. And that it actually came from Akito—my twin.


	3. Chapter 3

I added a few more stuff to chapter 3! I apologize for my inactivity. Tight sched. I am still into this story. As said, don't worry.

-:-

Akito glanced at the clock. "Look, we have to go now."

I stood up and grabbed my things. When we got outside and he locked the door, Ikki began racing frantically to us.

"Hey guys!" he said grinning widely, breathless. "Can I borrow your extra roller blades?"

His was accidentally thrown to the bay yesterday. The thing with him is he's too careless and childish. He has not realized yet how to take care of important things like that. No, he can't borrow ours this time. Before Akito could ever approve, I said "We don`t have extra roller blades. We're going now."

"I don't believe you" he said and turned to Akito, "You have an extra pair, don't you?"

"Yes. Wait for a minute, I'll get them." Akito said.

I snatched the key from Akito's hand and said firmly, "Let's go now, Akito. We'll be late."

"Like you ever cared about school," Ikki said and snickered.

"However, you still did not get to borrow roller blades," I said from my shoulder, grinning. I spun the key on my finger. Enjoying the scene, I turned to them and held the key higher, grinning more widely.

Akito was about to run to snatch the keys but he stopped. The next moment was I saw a blur around me. I spun around and saw Ikki's face, smirking down at me. From Ikki's hand the key slipped and flew away.

Akito caught it.

It began to get kind of hot. I realized it was his body compressed slightly to mine. His warm breath gently covered my face, his soft lips brushed against my forehead. My eyes were wide and my lips were slightly parted in surprise. I didn't even know – and I didn't seem to even care - how in the world he got that close or why did he have to. The next beat of my heart was loud and the following beats were frantic, blood rose up to my face. That moment seemed to be very long.

Apparently, Akito was speechless all that time. But, he was speechless _and_ was about to cry at _that moment_. I turned away and removed the blush that tainted my face with guilt. And why in the world, I didn't know.

Akito collected himself and said "We're now late, guys."

Ikki did not anymore insist on roller blades. We all walked to school together.

The bell rang just when we reached the gate. Akito did not anymore look as bothered as he did earlier. Ikki and Akito's first class was the same, that's why, I supposed.

As I ran to mine, that moment with Ikki flashed back. And there seemed something bosomed aggressively inside my chest. It was still all these months and now it already flooded me. I just know that I will not be able to contain this for a little more time soon.

-:-

Literature class. Again.

Mr. Satoyama. Again.

The bird brain. Again.

It surprised – and devastated – me too how the bird brain and I still get to be in the same class despite of my earnest efforts in staying away from him from the very start of the year. I thought nobody is going to attend literature class because it is so boring. I took it for the anticipation and hopefulness of avoiding Ikki entirely – well, _quite_ entirely. But it happened by chance that he took this class as well because he, too, was trying to stay away from girls.

From the back of the classroom, I was observing him there at his usual seat at the middle. It was late afternoon and soft streaks of light were touching his hair.

His shoulders dropped and he leaned on his desk. After five seconds, he looked around the room and spotted me. He grinned. But _smiled_ was more like it. The light hit his features and it dropped shadows; the shadows developed more depth. His large, brown eyes lit up. I loved the image.

Suddenly, my heart beat as crazy as it did just this morning. Blood rose up to my face, too. And my feet and fingers turned cold and I began sweating. Why the fuck was he smiling at me?

A guy threw a crumpled ball of paper at him while Mr Satoyama's back was turned. It fell to the floor and he picked it up. He snickered when he read what was written on it and threw the paper back to the guy. The guy mouthed something to him and they laughed soundlessly. Adorable was the word to describe it when he laughs.

Oh, what the fuck.

I was thankful when the bell rang for it was meant to end the freak show. But it didn't end there, actually. Because this can't mean I am _falling in love_. For fuck's sake!


	4. Chapter 4

It has been two days since the disturbing incident in Literature class. The mere thought of me thinking those things about the bird brain makes me sicker even more than the thoughts themselves. Especially that one thought – falling in love – that scares me most. Why did I think that, anyway? I have someone to blame that onto – the girls in school.

I am unlucky – I accept that, and so I understand (kind of) that I am seated around girls in most of my classes. I could care less about their gossips just so long as they are not about me. Actually, I think I could sell school rumors since I hear them all through school hours, on all school days of the week.

On one of these days, the subject love, finally was brought up – because my seatmates being females can't prevent it.

"Hey, Mika!" Riko, one of the friends of the said girls from a higher class shouts after Kamiyo Mika, her said 'best friend' and opposite personality. When Riko Sugumiya had red, unruly hair, Kamiyo's was a darker blue-black, neat bob; they both had those bodies jerks here go after, only that Sugumiya was attractive because she's the bossy type who'd probably knock the shit out of you if she's not amused, and Kamiyo allured guys with her shy and charming character.

Mika is just turning slowly to her friend, when Riko grabs her and makes her sit on the chair a seat away from me opposite her. She is solemn, and after a pause, she asks, "Mika, what really is love?"

"What?" Kamiyo is obviously startled. Why ask that kind of question in all of a sudden? Then as though an image of the one that makes her heart flutter - it does so – passes through her mind, her face is smeared crimson. "Well, Riko…"

Sugumiya, eyes still glued on Kamiyo, her face eager, waiting patiently. Her brows are knitted together, as though love is some great mystery. Oh, but it _does_ do the brain.

"This is only what I feel, Riko. Well you know I am shy, and you call me evasive. I really like it when he's around, Riko, but at times I ignore him. When we have a good talk in the morning, it would make up my whole day. When we fight a little, sometimes I feel like I could cry over it."

As I listen to this conversation, our lunch time yesterday comes rushing back to me. We were in our usual table, complete except for Ikki. The girls were discussing their tests as usual and the guys were talking about the canteen food.

Soon Ikki came and sat down in front of me. Everyone threw him a "hi" except for me. He looked at me, waiting for my greeting, but I did not leave my eyes off my tray. Instead, I suddenly butt in Kazu and Onigiri's conversation that at first they paused before letting me join in.

I tune back to Sugumiya and Kamiko's conversation.

"But I ignore him. Maybe because instead of showing how I care, I try to hide it as much as possible. Well I've always been like that. But it's hard."

Yesterday, Ikki then did not need wonder at my ignoring him at that moment, did not need despair over it, for at the corner of my eye, I saw Akito twine his arm around Ikki's. Ringo poked him and popped food into his mouth.

"Sometimes I imagine how it would be if I change myself completely and be bold. Then I wouldn't have to will him to talk to me _first_. If I feel like we haven't spoken a single word to each other for the whole day yet, I would just have to walk up to him and my day would be complete." Riko continues two seats away from me.

Lunch time passed, I made sure my hand did not brush his and stubborn as I was, I spoke not a single word to him. But dammit, I wish _he_ would talk to me.

"I hate how unlike me this issue makes me – uncollected, aggravated, assuming and guessing. But I am happy. It keeps me happy – the way my heart races, the way the sun could shine brighter and the way it could turn dark; the way it confuses me and makes me obsessive."

I did not believe I'd ever digest the food I was eating, so I left the table. It seems as though this thing – this same thing that sent him to my dreams in the past nights - keeps me from interacting with him – and it's not the usual me avoiding him, because this time, I know, if I ever so much as poke him, I will explode. The thing inside me that woke up after months of slumber will burst. I know I wouldn't be able to keep it in. And as surprising things keep coming these days, it does not surprise me anymore that a wave of melancholy washed upon me.

"Oh Riko, do you feel that?" Kamiyo exclaims with shining eyes.

Sugumiya then looks away, eyes on the floor as though examining in there the things Kamiyo mentioned. She holds her thumb to her teeth and, looking at Kamiyo again, she says the final answer of everything: "Riko, maybe I am in love."

"Aww, Riko!" Kamiyo smiles with joy at her friend, but I grow hot and I shiver. I am stricken. Oh God, I _am_ in love?

-:-

I am feasting over hash brown potatoes when I see Akito rush into the room, looking like he had slept in the uniform he is wearing that morning, bed hair and all. He has that tensed expression on his face, which relaxes when he gets a good look at the clock. He suddenly looks pissed off instead, though. He throws his bag which is just partially zipped on the couch. A few papers flutters out of it and lands gently on the floor.

I walk over to the papers to get them, while Akito looks inside the fridge. They are test papers, and almost all of them are failed. One is the Biology test he is scheduled to take yesterday. Akito gives out a yawn while opening his milk.

"How are the preparations for the festival so far?" I ask.

"Pretty good. We're going to make this festival perfect." Akito beams at me.

"I hope you're still catching up with your lessons," I put the papers on the table. "Kaito called. He said he is going to visit us. You know what he expects from you," I take a sip at my own milk.

"Well, yeah." Akito shrugs only.

"Akito…" I begin. But I pause. I continue again, "You know all our lives it had only been us two. We begged Kaito to let us spend our whole high school in one place someday. He agreed, but you should keep your grades up and continue to live up to his expectations. Continue…" A lump forms at my throat but I swallow it back down, "…continue what his Akito would do. Now we have this – a lunch table, classmates, and even neighbors. We now have people around us. People we can finally get the closest possible to our hearts because we know we can stay with them. We don't want to wrench them away again, do we? We don't want to leave again. I know you don't – especially when it's Ikki." My twin's golden eyes would not meet mine that were just as golden, nor does he say anything either.

"Akito," I repeat, but this time with my patience all gone, "if you are not going to set these straight," I jam at the papers, "he is going to take them all away! He is going to take Ikki away from you!"

Now I get some reaction from Akito. I notice his knuckles get whiter and whiter with each word, his grip tightening more than even on the fork. With the last word of my statement, Akito hurls the fork between us, which makes me step back. I see the veins in his neck as he screams all these words to me:"I don't care about Ikki, okay? I don't care about him anymore! I don't care about Kazu, Emily, Bucca, Ringo and the _lot_ of you!"

I do not say anything. What is this coming to?

Bitter tears flows down from my twin's fuming eyes, but he continues. "I don't have a reason to do all these anymore. I am not anymore staying for _anyone_. I am not valued in there, Akito. More often than not, I feel left out. I only feel like I'm pushing myself into that table each lunch time and I am just pushed back away."

"Akito, you're not… we're not pushing you away. And if you should be, I should be, too. We act as one, we always have had we should always will!"

"Not anymore, Agito. We don't anymore feel or think the same."

"But how, why – that's not possible."

"That's because you think more of yourself now! You're selfish! Has it ever crossed your mind that I have always been doing things for the two of _us_? Did you ever think I could be tired? You know what, if you want to stay in this freaking place with all those people who are only _your_ friends, then get the grades Kaito wants yourself!"

With that, my twin angrily grabs his things and runs out of the house.

Could it be true? I never think about him now? We don't feel the same now that I didn't know he felt out of place? Since when have we been divided? And why did I let it happen?

Alone in the house, finally, I weep.


End file.
